At this moment, as they stood so together, Tremont pulling his mustache and looking out through the bougainvillea vines, a dark figure made its way through the garden to the villa, came and took its position under the balcony where the duke and Miss Redmond leaned. It was a native, a man in filthy rags. He turned his face to Tremont and bowed low to the lady. "Excellency," he said in broken French, "my name is Hammet Abou. I was the _ordonnance_ of Monsieur le Capitaine de Sabron." "What!" exclaimed Tremont, "what did you say?" "Ask him to come up here," said Julia Redmond, "or, no--let us go down to the garden." "It is damp," said Tremont, "let me get you a shawl." "No, no, I need nothing." She had hurried before him down the little stairs leading into the garden from the balcony, and she had begun to speak to the native before Tremont appeared. In this recital he addressed his words to Julia alone. "I am a very poor man, Excellency," he said in a mellifluous tone, "and very sick." "Have you any money, Monsieur?" "Pray do not suggest it," said the duke sharply. "Let him tell what he will; we will pay him later." "I have been very sick," said the man. "I have left the army. I do not like the French army," said the native simply. "You are very frank," said Tremont brutally. "Why do you come here at any rate?" "Hush," said Julia Redmond imploringly. "Do not anger him, Monsieur, he may have news." She asked: "Have you news?" and there was a note in her voice that made Tremont glance at her. "I have seen the excellency and her grandmother," said the native, "many times going into the garrison." "What news have you of Captain de Sabron?" asked the girl directly. Without replying, the man said in a melancholy voice: "I was his _ordonnance_, I saw him fall in the battle of Dirbal. I saw him shot in the side. I was shot, too. See?" He started to pull away his rags. Tremont clutched him. "You beast," he muttered, and pushed him back. "If you have anything to say, say it." Looking at Julia Redmond's colorless face, the native asked meaningly: "Does the excellency wish any news?" "Yes," said Tremont, shaking him. "And if you do not give it, it will be the worse for you." "Monsieur le Capitaine fell, and I fell, too; I saw no more." Tremont said: "You see the fellow is half lunatic and probably knows nothing about Sabron. I shall put him out of the garden." But Miss Redmond paid no attention to her companion. She controlled her voice and asked the man: "Was the Capitaine de Sabron alone?" "Except," said the native steadily, with a glance of disgust at the duke, "except for his little dog." "Ah!" exclaimed Julia Redmond, with a catch in her voice, "do you hear that? He must have been his servant. What was the dog's name?" "My name," said the native, "is Hammet Abou." To her at this moment Hammet Abou was the most important person in North Africa. "What was the little dog's name, Hammet Abou?"